What Is The 90-90-90 Rule For High Chairs?

Shopping for a high chair can be an overwhelming and emotional experience. It's not just about functionality and design; your baby is growing up, and their safety is your top priority. Fortunately, there's a handy high chair guideline you can follow to make the experience a little easier. It's called the 90-90-90 rule, and this principle helps assess a high chair's ergonomics to ensure your baby is seated properly during mealtimes.

The rule is simple. While sitting in their high chair, your baby's hips, knees, and ankles should all be positioned at a 90-degree angle. This is a reliable way to ensure that your little one's core is engaged in the correct posture, allowing them to chew and swallow their food safely and effectively. The stability provided by the 90-90-90 rule can also help your child fully focus while they eat, minimizing distractions, and proper positioning is key for hand-eye coordination as they get older and begin self-feeding. 

You can confirm your baby is seated comfortably and correctly with everything at a right angle by doing a quick visual assessment. When placed in their chair, your baby should be able to sit upright, with their lower back supported by the backrest (no slumping or leaning). Your baby's thighs should rest on the seat, with their legs bent at the knee, and their feet should rest flat on the high chair's footrest.

Despite being a key component of the 90-90-90 rule, an adjustable footrest is a common oversight when it comes to high chair design. While some chairs allow for baby feet to swing freely, a sturdy footrest is important for helping your baby sit correctly. Without somewhere to rest their feet, they won't be able to fully stabilize their legs.

If you already have a high chair, it's also worth considering if your child is increasingly fussy during mealtimes. Often, children will resist being placed in their seat if they're not comfy, and this can happen if they don't feel stable and secure. Making use of the 90-90-90 rule is a great way to check this, even when your baby is still too little to tell you themselves.

As you search for the perfect high chair, it's a good idea to look for a model that's easy to wipe clean. Cloth high chairs with too many removable pieces can be a pain, and you should skip anything that reclines or makes it easy for your baby to slump forward. In general, any seat that allows for too much wiggling can be a safety hazard and should definitely be avoided. But with the right chair, meals can be a sweet and enjoyable part of the day, and one that sets your baby up for a lifetime of great eating habits.